Millville's Tyler Loteck putts during the NJSIAA Group IV South/Central Tournament at Linwood Country Club on Monday. / Photo/Sean M. Fitzgerald

Vineland's Eric Dargis tees off during the NJSIAA Group IV South/Central Tournament at Linwood Country Club on Monday. Dargis advanced to the Tournament of Champions. / Photo/Sean M. Fitzgerald

More

ADVERTISEMENT

LINWOOD — As soon as Eric Dargis hit his par putt on his 18th hole, he knew it was in.

As soon as he heard his brother’s roar, he knew he’d made the Tournament of Champions.

The Vineland High School junior sank a 20-footer on the ninth hole at Linwood Country Club to post a 7-over 77, tying for fourth at the Group IV South/Central Tournament to advance to the season finale.

“I made that putt and my brother flipped out and I knew I was in, because he wouldn’t be excited for me just to make a 20-footer,” said Dargis, who earned a fifth-place medal based on a match of cards with two other kids.

Dargis was the only area golfer to punch his ticket to Hopewell Valley Golf Club for the TofC, which goes off Monday at 11 a.m.

Vineland finished fifth out of 18 teams with a team score of 339. Senior Cody Freese fired an 83 while Ricky Acosta shot an 84. Millville’s Tyler Loteck, playing in his first sectional tournament, posted a 94.

Dargis is the first player in coach Mike Brosh’s six-year tenure to qualify for the TofC, and former coach John Pierantozzi couldn’t recall sending a player to the event in his more than 10 years leading Vineland.

“To be the first in recent memory is pretty sweet,” Dargis said.

It’s even sweeter considering how his round ended. Dargis was 4-over through 14 holes, but went bogey, double bogey on hole Nos. 6 and 7 to shoot up to 7-over with two to play.

“I was like, all right, I got to par out,” he said.

It wasn’t easy. On the par-3 eighth hole, he missed the green and left himself about an eight-yard chip.

“I hit it like 12 (yards), and it started rolling and I was like, ‘Oh stop,’” Dargis said. “Then that was a 15-foot putt coming back for par. The one kid Shane (Cowan of West Windsor Plainsboro North), I saw his putt, and I got a nice read off of it and I put that one in.”

On the par-5 ninth, he put his approach shot in the greenside bunker, and actually had his ball roll into a footprint. Dargis subsequently hit his sand shot roughly 20 feet away from the cup.

(Page 2 of 2)

Eric’s older brother Scott, a former Cape-Atlantic League champion, and his father Skip were watching his last few holes, keenly aware of the situation.

“I told my dad he’s got to make this,” Scott said, “and that’s a really far putt, it was down the hill, it was twisted.”

Eric played it four inches off the left edge.

“As soon as I hit the putt I was like oh, it’s in,” he said.

When it dropped, Scott erupted.

“It was just tremendous,” he said. “The reaction of watching that go in and high-fiving my dad was crazy.”

“We’re excited, we’re happy for him,” Brosh said. “Hopefully he does well next week.”

Eric’s focus is already there.

“It means a lot to me to make it, but now I got to prove myself in the (Tournament of Champions),” he said.

He doesn’t need to prove anything to Scott, because while Scott has the biggest scholastic victory between the siblings, Eric has already shown he’s the best golfer in the family.

“We’ve been asked the question, he’s been getting it, my dad has got it, I got it last night from a couple of my friends, ‘Is he better than you?’ And it’s easy, definitely. It’s not even close,” Scott said. “It just kind of validates (everything).”

You will automatically receive the TheDailyJournal.com Top 5 daily email newsletter. If you don't want to receive this newsletter, you can change your newsletter selections in your account preferences.